Research Fundamentals for Realistic Aircraft Models
Model making, like any form of creative expression, fulfils its purpose by providing satisfaction to the modeller during the building process and by producing an aesthetically pleasing result. However, achieving an 'aesthetically pleasing' result can be challenging because a model represents something that is or was real. To work within the boundaries of realism, two critical prerequisites must be met: historical context and technical accuracy.
Historical context involves understanding the era, events, and operational circumstances surrounding the aircraft. This ensures the model accurately reflects the aircraft's role and appearance during a specific period. Technical accuracy requires precise replication of the aircraft's dimensions, materials, and construction techniques. This involves detailed research into technical documentation.
By combining historical context and technical accuracy, modellers can create highly detailed and realistic models that tell a remarkable story. The process of researching a model can thus further enhance the gratification by offering a deeper appreciation for the history and engineering behind the aircraft to be represented.
Historical Research, subject selection and storytelling
While historical research in aviation is often associated with writing books, articles, or producing documentaries, it can also play a significant role in model making. A well-researched model can effectively represent an era of aviation history or tell a compelling story.
There are several popular subjects that kit manufacturers have mass-produced and consequently, modelers have built in the thousands. Setting aside the Spitfires and Messerschmitt Bf109s that have been modelled in every conceivable mark, sub-variant, camouflage pattern, and scale, there is still plenty of room for unusual or unique modelling subjects.
Uniqueness does not necessarily refer to unknown aircraft types produced in limited numbers or prototype phases. A unique subject can be a well-known aircraft type involved in an interesting historical event or associated with a specific story. It was only this morning that I came across a video of legendary Chuck Yeager flying in an F-15 at the remarkable age of 89! Obviously, a conversion or a scratch-built project stretches the uniqueness bar even further.
Finding an interesting subject requires some form of historical research. I highly recommend not only merely collecting information on a subject but also studying it. With over 120 years of aviation history, there are undoubtedly many interesting modelling subjects to be built and stories waiting to be discovered.
Technical Research
Technical progress has gone hand in hand with aviation since its very infancy, and this should be reflected in any model-making endeavour. All serious aircraft modelling projects should be technically researched, not only before but also during their construction. This includes aspects such as dimensions and correctness of scale, design specifics, materials used, and the systems the aircraft was equipped with. The more knowledge one has of the technical aspects of an aircraft, the better these can be represented in scale.
Acquiring technical knowledge is not easy but it is advisable before embarking on any form of technical research. The modeller must have at least a basic understanding of aviation jargon to grasp the technical material. Remember, none of the aircraft documentation was ever written with modellers in mind.
The amount of research required for any given subject depends on the project itself. For an off-the-shelf model kit, some research has already been conducted by the production company, so (at least theoretically) the model should provide a solid base for a modelling subject to be worked on. Depending on the level of modeller engagement, additional research may be undertaken to perform interior or exterior improvements or add extra details in the form of open access panels or engines. The quantity of research increases considerably when converting a model to a different aircraft subtype and exponentially when the project is scratchbuilt.
Research Management
Collecting of information
Collecting information for a modelling project is a laborious and costly process that can be both enjoyable and frustrating. It is always possible that institutions or individuals holding information we deem as important may not be willing to help or share. Similarly, a museum aircraft that we may consider ideal for our modelling purposes might be too far away or, conversely, in a nearby museum but inconveniently hanging from the ceiling. Considering these difficulties, research should be undertaken within reason by initially collecting anything relevant to the subject and then organising it in a meaningful and practical way.
Historical information tends to come from various sources, such as period or contemporary photographs, books and articles, museum or other archives, and personal collections. Some may be readily available online, but in my experience, there is still a considerable amount of information that requires travel to access. For example, the National Aerospace Library in Farnborough, the RAF Museum collections in Hendon, and the National Archives in Kew Gardens, all based in the UK, are great sources of information. While it may not be possible or feasible for all modellers to undertake such trips, these institutions remain invaluable, nonetheless. Specialised books or magazine articles may be found and purchased from a specialised bookstore or online, thus reducing the need to travel, but potentially adding to the overall cost of the project.
Technical information is more specific but not necessarily easier to find. Maintenance documentation, such as Aircraft Maintenance Manuals, Illustrated Parts Catalogues, and Structural Repair Manuals, is highly valuable. Engine overhaul manuals also fall under this category and can be very useful and informative. If a manual for a specific variant cannot be found, it is advisable to use the closest one available. Flight Manuals and pilot’s notes may also be used if nothing else is available, but as one would expect, they lack technical detail. Technical manuals can nowadays be found online, either for free or for approximately £20 to be downloaded in .pdf format. Some original maintenance manuals can also be found on eBay or in museum collections.
Scale plans may also fall under technical information, but it is not always guaranteed that they have been properly researched or designed. Factory drawings can be trusted for accuracy but tend to be hard to find. It is also possible that factory drawings may be for very specific parts of an aircraft and not for the overall airframe, thus rendering them unusable for modelling purposes.
Museum exhibits and warbirds can be categorised as an overlap between historical and technical information, as they can have value in both areas. However, they need to be approached with caution, as there may be numerous inaccuracies and compromises associated with each restoration project. Museum exhibits are very expensive to restore and preserve, with the overall cost and feasibility depending on the state of the aircraft when acquired by the museum.
One prime example is the AVRO York at the Imperial War Museum Duxford. The aircraft has been painted to represent a Dan-Air airliner, but the interior tells the story of how these aircraft were used by RAF Transport Command in the historic Berlin Airlift.
Flying warbirds, on the other hand, must comply with airworthiness standards and legislation, and therefore may have much modern equipment installed. As they tend to be part of private collections, historical accuracy may not always be a top priority.
Once the bulk of available or attainable information has been collected for a specific aircraft, it is advisable to organize it in a way that allows for meaningful interpretation. Time is another factor to consider as we cannot afford a lifetime on research. A line must be drawn somewhere so the actual modelling project can start.
Interpretation of Information
Challenges and Compromises
Interpreting information is the most important but also the most difficult part of the research process. How a model kit will be improved and detailed, or how a scratch-built project will be designed and executed, depends significantly on this stage. The starting point here is to decide on a specific aircraft to represent for a particular period of its service life. This decision must be based not only on the appeal of a pleasing appearance or an interesting story but also on the availability of relevant information. Compromises may be required, as historical accuracy should take the highest priority. In other words, we may end up modelling a project with a significantly lower "wow" factor than originally intended due to insufficient information.
Despite all our efforts, gaps in research make interpretation particularly challenging. Excluding aircraft still flying today that we may have access to, any modelling subject within the annals of history is bound to have missing pieces of information, either in terms of photographic coverage or the availability of decent technical information.
To illustrate this point, I will share an example from my personal experience. Many times, I have returned from a day at the museum, all smiles, having taken numerous photographs of an exhibit, only to realize that I missed something when I began to study the material. Now, imagine how improbable it is for a photograph or set of photographs taken by someone else decades ago to include all the information we may need for our modelling purposes.
Photographic evidence
All photographic evidence falls under one of two categories: period photos taken when the historic aircraft of interest was in service or contemporary photos of the same or similar aircraft, either as a static exhibit in a museum or as a flying warbird.
Using period photos as a benchmark, all other relevant ones must be cross-examined to identify similarities and differences. This exercise can be challenging, as there may be differences even between period photos themselves, not to mention museum aircraft and warbirds, which are bound to be different. These differences can be attributed to modifications the aircraft has undergone, and it is necessary to determine if a certain modification was performed during the period we want to represent. It is possible that a very good photo of a specific part of an aircraft shows a modification embodied much later than the historic period in question and should not be included in the finished model. Blurry or poor-quality photos may add further to the frustration.
If no colour photos are available for a given subject, research must be directed towards finding factual evidence from those who were there at the time. Books or articles may hold the required information. As recollections tend to vary however, an educated guess may be the only realistic option.
Consequently, the project can only take off when there is sufficient photo coverage of the exterior, at least a good knowledge of what the interior configuration looked like, and to a lesser extent, its modification status during the period of interest. More educated guesses may be needed further down the line; otherwise, the project will never see a happy conclusion.
Technical References
Of all the technical data, the most useful for modelers can be illustrations, 3-view plans, or other diagrams. This is generally true for beginners, but for those interested in advanced modelling or scratch-building, it is the understanding and utilisation of numbers and text that make the real difference.
This brings us back to the discussion on aircraft terminology. The wealth of information in the manuals can only be put to good use if it can be understood. Dimensions, dihedral, sweep, incidence or other angles, water lines, and frame stations need to be included if any serious scratch-building effort is to materialise. Without these, there are limited chances of achieving a much-desired resounding success as may be originally anticipated. For less ambitious modelling projects, there is still a great need for technical understanding. For example, the positions of ailerons, slats, and flaps depend on the design of the aircraft and the systems involved in their operation. Due to lack of technical knowledge, several ‘aesthetically pleasing’ models presented and applauded as masterpieces are, in my view, merely compromised representations of real aircraft.
The best way to approach the difficult subject of technical documentation is to start with an understanding of basic aircraft structures. You should look into how an aircraft was designed, study the numbers such as length, wingspan, wheel track, etc., and ensure that any plan the modelling effort is going to be based on is in agreement with the scaled-down dimensions.
For more specific details, seek similarities between photos of the real aircraft and illustrations. A good cross-referencing of both will give you the best possible idea of what an aircraft component looked like. What I tend to do is draw sketches of individual components as seen from different angles and decide on their dimensions relevant to the model. Another method I use is to cluster photos of the same area on a blank document and study them against any scale plans or dimensions. If possible, try to determine the materials aircraft components were made of and bear this in mind when trying to represent them in scale.
For visible portions of aircraft systems, further study is required. Pipework and wiring always go from A to B, and the best way to figure out how these components (conforming to several specifications) were installed on the aircraft is by cross-referencing the technical illustrations and available photos.
The overall process of information interpretation described above is a huge subject. I like to think of it as trying to make a massive jigsaw puzzle with several missing pieces. Technical data provides the hard evidence that helps create new pieces to go in their place.
Conclusion
In this article, we've explored the critical role of research in aircraft modelling, highlighting the importance of historical context and technical accuracy. By gathering and interpreting information from various sources, you can enhance the realism and authenticity of your models. The journey from research to finished model may be challenging, but it is also incredibly rewarding.
In part 2 of this article, we will delve into the practical application of these research fundamentals by examining the meticulous process behind the Empire flying boat model. Stay tuned for insights on turning theory into practice and bringing history to life through your models.